


Your Stars Sparkle On My Dark Sky

by Gemini_Baby



Series: Flufftober 2020 [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne-centric, Dick Grayson Feels, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne’s Parent, Dick Grayson-centric, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Flufftober, Flufftober2020, Gen, Insecurity, Not Beta Read, damian wayne is adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26840881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemini_Baby/pseuds/Gemini_Baby
Summary: Is this how people feel when they are called Dad for the first time?Is this the similar warmth that spreads through them? The rush of joy that bursts in the chest?Dick finds himself falling to his knees. He doesn’t know why exactly his knees gave out. Because they were wobbling already because of the injuries? Or because the fact that Damian considers Dick his father and he came all the way to bludhaven to give him that card made with lots of love just swept him off his feet?OR: Dick, Damian, Father's Day card and Feels
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Flufftober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022917
Comments: 19
Kudos: 507
Collections: Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's Parent, Flufftober2020





	Your Stars Sparkle On My Dark Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Flufftober 2020's prompt, "Sparkle"
> 
> I hope you enjoy <3

They were asked to make cards for Father’s day. They were given different stationery; coloured card sheet papers, markers, glitter pens, colour pencils, scissors, crayons and coloured glitters in little bottles.

This was the first project Damian was actually  _ excited  _ about. He  _ knew  _ what he wanted to make, and whom he wanted to gift his card to. The one thing he was not sure about was the results, whether he would be able to capture and achieve what he had in his vision for the card. He will find out one way or another, Damian decided.

He picked a lot of different coloured card sheets and glitter pens. He thought for a moment and decided to use the glitter bottles too. Picking the most important weapon – tool; scissors he started working.

First, he cut two little birds out of coloured computer paper. He pasted glitter across the birds’ outline, making the lining for them glittery. Then he pasted the two birds on a corner of the card, a deep black coloured card paper. A bluebird hugging a little robin bird with its wings.

Then he cuts the shape of a phoenix, and then he paints it blue. Dark blue. A dark blue coloured phoenix rising gets pasted in the centre of the card. Satisfied with the progress so far, Damian sprinkles sky blue glitter at some places on the phoenix making the accents stand out.

After the paint dries, because they all are here all day and today’s project is all that they are going to do for today’s school day, he picks a white marker. It is time to put the calligraphy lessons from his childhood to good use. He writes Happy Father’s Day on the wings and centre of the dark blue phoenix.

He at first debates writing “Richard” on the card but then decides against it. Maybe Richard would not want a card from Damian. Maybe he would not want to keep something that would remind him of his darkest time in his life; dealing with Damian. But maybe he would want to keep the card around merely for its artistic merit. So Damian does not write Richard. Though he is unsure how many people would give Richard card for Father’s Day that a “Richard” will stand out, and reveal itself to be something from Damian. Then again, Richard would not be expecting a Father’s Day card from Damian, at all.

Damian sneaks to Bludhaven. Father had benched him from going out as Robin. But had said that he could go out as Damian if he wanted to hang out with his friends.

_ “I already have a friend.” _

_ The memory of Damian telling Richard that, saying to him that Richard was already his friend and he didn’t need any other friend because he had Richard, all those years ago, echoes in his memory. _

Damian blinks.

The tears don’t escape his eyes on the way.

It is raining outside.

Reaching Bludhaven and arriving at Richard’s apartment is Robin’s play. Child’s play is for children and Damian had never been allowed to be that. So he settles on the phrase, Robin’s play instead.

Richard would have laughed teasingly if he heard that and would have a look in his blue eyes, which makes Damian want to reach up and swipe his thumb across his cheek.

But there is no Richard here.

He is at the Titan’s Tower for some missions, or maybe to hangout.

Who is Damian to inquire about the personal details?

Once he reaches the apartment, he places the card, where the mail pile sits on the side of the room. This way, it can’t be said with certainty who dropped the card. It could have had been anyone mailing him.

After placing the card, he leaves. No matter how much the place screams Richard, and Damian wants to curl up and envelope himself there. He doesn’t stay any longer. He leaves. Staying any longer would be a breach of privacy, more than it already has been.

Dick returns to his apartment a week later than intended. His broken bones held together by bandages, his wounds patched. His heart broken like tiny countless shards of glasses and his broken being held together by mere stubbornness and repression, and patched up with a smile.

One that doesn’t reach his eyes.

_ You smile with your eyes. _

_ Damian had said. While he was painting his sketch of Dick’s eyes. Dick had blinked and grinned. _

__

__

He misses Damian. He would love to talk to him, again. But for doing so, he would have to go Gotham. And right now, Dick doesn’t even have the energy to go to the bathroom and shower.

He closes the door behind him and slides on to the floor of the room. Leaning his back to the door, hugging his knees to chest and his head between his arms and knees, he cries. He cries. In a long time. He cries. For a long time.

There are some mails, some packages and stuff on the side of the room. Something sparkling catches his eyes and he moves towards it. As soon as his eyes lands on the object of curiosity, his breath picks up.  _ This isn’t real. _ His fingers shake, he notices, as he reaches for the object.

It is a card. A black coloured card with a blue phoenix sparkling on it. On the side, there are two birds. Dick can read and interpret the symbolism.

What makes his eyes wet is the  _ Happy Father’s Day  _ written in stylish handwriting on the blue phoenix, whose wings and ends of tail sparkle, with a white marker.

Dick feels as if he has been hit by a bus. By a force so strong and fierce in nature that it throws Dick off. The flood of emotions that surges through him is overwhelming. His heart feels...weird emotions. One he can’t place or maybe can’t name.

Is this how people feel when they are called Dad for the first time?

Is this the similar warmth that spreads through them? The rush of joy that bursts in the chest?

Dick finds himself falling to his knees. He doesn’t know why exactly his knees gave out. Because they were wobbling already because of the injuries? Or because the fact that Damian considers Dick his father and he came all the way to bludhaven to give him that card made with lots of love just swept him off his feet?

After hitting the floor, Dick sits on the floor, pulling his knees from under him. They are already injured. His knees shouldn’t be taking his weight and the brunt of him just losing his control over the emotions like a dam that gets broken with the force of the water.

His inside state is a mess - the lingering sadness, anger, panic and terror because of the recent mission and his new overwhelming surge of emotions (love, pride, many things he does not have a name yet) are at war. Dick feels like he is a battlefield. Being charged on by contradicting emotions.

  
  
  


He lies down on the floor on his side and cries again, both happy and sad tears.

  
  


_ The villain had mocked them, laughed at them, had made them live through their deepest fears, had forced them to live through their darkest times. He had pulled all the weaknesses, all those things that could have hurt them and had ripped them all apart with them. _

_ Dick had been forced to see his parents’ accident repeatedly. _

_ Then, he had been forced to hallucinate all his friends and family falling. One by one. Just falling. They returned after dying and will fall down again. Dick did not receive any physical scratch during the session, yet his throat felt like it was ripped apart because of the screaming in agony. _

_ Dick had survived it. He had pulled through it. Had taken the torture in stride and had risen above it. _

  
  


_ What happened later was not meant to hurt that much. _

_ It hurt more than the past session. _

_ It is still hurting. _

  
  


_ The fear and mocking that he is the last one of his family...he will be the last one…. _

_ That his parents’ legacy will end at him - no, that their legacy will doom at him had broken him like nothing else. _

_ He had a family, yes. He loves them with all his heart. _

_ But a thought and a wish that he continue something of his parents had always lingered, it still lingers. _

_ His medical report from a week before…had not helped the situation in the slightest. _

_ Had turned his cries into sobs, panic into horror, pain into gore. _

_ It didn’t stop. _

_ It’s not something that stops. _

  
  


He realizes belatedly that he is having a panic attack. He reaches for his phone on the table, where he had left it and fumbles to find familiar contacts that might be able to soothe his current aches.

He calls Damian. Calling at 2 am is not the right time. But right now Dick is panicking. He is not thinking straight. His heartbeat is too fast and his breathing too slow. Worst case scenarios are going through his head and the flood of blow in his head feels wrong. His temples have an invisible pressure on them.

The bell rings. The sound of the other line ringing is either going to calm his nerves or set them on fire. He will see. The former might be an improvement. The latter wouldn’t be worse than his current state.

“Hey kiddo”

“Hi Richard”

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No? Why?”

“Why are you awake right now?”

“Couldn’t sleep”

“Where are you?”

“In my bedroom”

The line remains silent for a few minutes. The only sound Dick hears is Damian’s close breathing. Dick knows that Damian is giving him time to gather his thoughts and speak or if he decides not to speak. It doesn’t matter much. Damian would remain on the line either way. Verbally supporting him or emotionally supporting him. His Robin, his partner in everything and beyond. Someone Dick loves and trusts with his heart and soul and someone who loves trusts him back with the same things, with similar ferocity.

Dick breaks silence after a while. He knows if his throat feels like that it can’t take more, he would stop talking. Damian would understand.  _ The kid always understands _ .

“I missed you”

“And I missed you”

  
  
  


“Dami. Kiddo”

“Richard?”

“I am not feeling good. You… can you talk with me?”

“I am here, Richard”

“Do you want me to distract you?”

“Yes please”

  
  


They talk about everything, and they talk about nothing.

  
  
  


“Do you want to video call?”

“NO”

“No, it’s okay. Just your voice is helping.” He doesn’t want kiddo to see his ruined state. 

  
  
  


“Thank you for the card, kiddo.”

There is a silence for a minute on the other side of the line and Dick fears he has said the wrong thing. He doesn’t even realize that the storm of panic inside him is again brewing until Damian’s voice soothes it down, “Of course.”

  
  


“It...it means a lot to me.”

“I am glad you liked it.”

“Liked?”

“I love it!”

“I love the symbolism too.”

“Oh? What symbolism did you catch?”

“The birds. The phoenix is very sparkly and pretty”

“There is symbolism there too”

“Huh?”

“The glitter...Sparkle. Sparkle means shining with a bright, glistening, shimmering light. Sparkle can also refer to joy or merriment. When you're having a really good time, your face will sparkle. As a verb, sparkle means to be lively and excited, or to be so brilliant at something that you shine above the rest.”

“Uh, yes?”

“ You bring joy to me. You are the light and the sparkling stars on my dark sky. You are lively and excited. You make me excited. And you are brilliant and shine above the rest.”

“ _ Dami - ” _

“I am speaking the truth. Don’t deny it.”

“Okay. I will silently sob at the love I feel for you and the pride I have for my kiddo.”

  
  
  
  


They talk about a lot of things. Damian tells him about his recent education project and Dick listens.

Dick’s eyelids start feeling heavy and Damian picks that up. “Sleep well, Richard.”

But Dick doesn’t want Damian to leave his side, even if he is on the phone.

“It’s okay. I am here. I am not dropping the call.”

“You aren’t?”

“No. Now go to sleep.”

“I will try.”

Dick closes his eyes and Damian starts humming from the phone. Dick recognizes the tune. It is one of Damian’s mother’s lullabies, the one she used to sing to him.

It has been hummed and sung to him many times. Over the past few years, Dick and Damian both have hummed their mothers’ lullaby to the other to soothe and calm them.

  
  


Dick listens to the humming and falls asleep. He ends up dreaming about getting to hug his kid physically.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it 💖
> 
> Kudos, comments, bookmarks, user subscriptions are all welcome and appreciated
> 
> If you want to say hi on tumblr or follow me there, I am geminibabyhere


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